Start by sealing air leaks with putty or metal tape and insulate any ducts you can access (such as those in attics, mezzanines, unfinished basements, and garages). Never use adhesive tape, as it is not durable. You can apply high-quality adhesive tape (the old fashioned way), putty or Aeroseal sealant for best results. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, so let's take an in-depth look at what technique you could use and why.
Apply a layer of silicone caulk along both edges of the duct joint. Seal round ducts with aluminum foil tape, not adhesive tape. Despite its name, it's not approved for duct sealing and doesn't hold up well in the long term. Duct leaks allow contaminated air to enter the system, increasing contaminants inside the house, such as dust, dirt and other particles that decrease air quality.
The self-made method of sealing air ducts saves you money, but it can be a challenge for beginners, especially if you are trying to get into hard-to-reach areas or when there are leaks hidden behind drywall. The ducts are the ones that distribute heat and air conditioning to the different rooms of the house and, often, these ducts have gaps in their connections, allowing the air conditioner to escape before reaching the intended room. Aeroseal is effective because it properly seals ducts to prevent outside air or dust from entering the pipes and spreading throughout the house. It won't be long before the adhesive tape comes off or, worse, enters the air ducts, and condensation caused by temperature fluctuations will weaken the tape and cause it to break.
It's fascinating to explain how sealing air ducts can help reduce your home's energy consumption. Leaks in the air duct will allow cold or warm air to escape before it reaches the desired living spaces in the house. When hot or cold air escapes through ducts, especially in the basement and attic, the boiler or air conditioner has to work longer (and consume more fuel) to bring the living area of the house to the temperature indicated on the thermostat. So, in addition to improving airflow efficiency, why worry about sealing ducts in the first place? Sealing air ducts offers a multitude of additional advantages.
If someone in your family has allergies or asthma, sealing the duct system can help reduce their symptoms and improve their health. As you already know, air conditioning does more to control the temperature of a room than simply produce cool air. Either way, having your ducts properly sealed will help you balance the air temperature in your home and improve air quality. Buy UL181 aluminum tape for high temperatures in the duct section of a residential center and use it to seal the joints of round ducts.
They will then pressurize the duct system with a fan and use a computer to analyze the data and determine how much air escapes through the ducts.
